New England shrimp target cut in half

PORTLAND, Maine — Fisheries regulators have set the start date for the shrimp season and halved the target for the amount of shrimp to be caught by New England fishermen.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission on Friday set a target of 2,000 metric tons, compared with 4,000 metric tons the year before.

Bob Beal, director of the Interstate Fisheries Management Program, says the season will begin for trawlers on Jan. 2, with fishing on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Regulators will reassess the season on Jan. 18 before trap fishermen start fishing seven days a week on Feb. 1.

Beal says the goal is to stretch out the season while reducing the catch. Last year, the season was cut short when fishermen quickly surpassed the target set by biologists.